ŷ������

“I am grateful you're alive", he said. "I am grateful that you're beside me. I am grateful that you're eating."
She rested her head on his shoulder.
"You're better that waffles, Matthias Helvar."
A small smile curled the Fjerdan's lips.
"Let's not say things we don't mean, my love.”
― Leigh Bardugo, Crooked Kingdom

“Where do you think the money went?�� he repeated.
“Guns?�� asked Jesper.
“Ships?�� queried Inej.
“Bombs?�� suggested Wylan.
“Political bribes?�� offered Nina. They all looked at Matthias. “This is where you tell us how awful we are,�� she whispered.
He shrugged. “They all seem like practical choices.”
― Leigh Bardugo, Crooked Kingdom

“I don't like this."
"To be fair, Matthias, you don't like much.”
― Leigh Bardugo, Crooked Kingdom

“They were twin souls, soldiers destined to fight for different sides, to find each other and lose each other too quickly. She would not keep him here. Not like this.”
― Leigh Bardugo, Crooked Kingdom

“Jesper: “If Pekka Rollins kills us all, I’m going to get Wylan’s ghost to teach my ghost how to play the flute just so that I can annoy the hell out of your ghost.��
Kaz: “I’ll just hire Matthias�� ghost to kick your ghost’s ass.��
Matthias: “My ghost won’t associate with your ghost.”
― Leigh Bardugo, Six of Crows

“I promise, Matthias. I'll take you home."
"Nina," he said, pressing her hand to his heart. "I am already home.”
― Leigh Bardugo, Crooked Kingdom

“They fear you as I once feared you,�� he said. “As you once feared me. We are all someone’s monster, Nina.”
― Leigh Bardugo, Six of Crows

“The life you live, the hate you feel—it’s poison. I can drink it no longer.”
― Leigh Bardugo, Six of Crows

“I wonder what Matthias would have to say about that outfit.��
“He wouldn’t approve.��
“He doesn’t approve of anything about you. But when you laugh, he perks up like a tulip in fresh water.��
Nina snorted. “Matthias the tulip.��
“The big, brooding, yellow tulip.”
― Leigh Bardugo, Six of Crows

“What did she say?�� asked Matthias.
Nina coughed and took his arm, leading him away. “She said you’re a very nice fellow, and a credit to the Fjerdan race. Ooh, look, blini! I haven’t had proper blini in forever.��
“That word she used: babink,�� he said. “You’ve called me that before. What does it mean?��
Nina directed her attention to a stack of paper-thin buttered pancakes. “It means sweetie pie.��
“N���Բ�—���
“B����������������.��
“I was just asking, there’s no need to name-call.��
“N��, babink means barbarian.�� Matthias�� gaze snapped back to the old woman, his glower returning to full force. Nina grabbed his arm. It was like trying to hold on to a boulder. “She wasn’t insulting you! I swear!��
“Barbarian isn’t an insult?�� he asked, voice rising.
“No. Well, yes. But not in this context. She wanted to know if you’d like to play Princess and Barbarian.��
“It’s a game?��
“Not exactly.��
“Then what is it?��
Nina couldn’t believe she was actually going to attempt to explain this. As they continued up the street, she said, “In Ravka, there’s a popular series of stories about, um, a brave Fjerdan warrior—��
���𲹱�����?�� Matthias asked. “He’s the hero?��
“In a manner of speaking. He kidnaps a Ravkan princess—��
“That would never happen.��
“In the story it does, and”—she cleared her throat—“they spend a long time getting to know each other. In his cave.��
“He lives in a cave?��
“It’s a very nice cave. Furs. Jeweled cups. Mead.��
“Ah,�� he said approvingly. “A treasure hoard like Ansgar the Mighty. They become allies, then?��
Nina picked up a pair of embroidered gloves from another stand. “Do you like these? Maybe we could get Kaz to wear something with flowers. Liven up his look.��
“How does the story end? Do they fight battles?��
Nina tossed the gloves back on the pile in defeat. “They get to know each other intimately.��
Matthias�� jaw dropped. “In the cave?��
“You see, he’s very brooding, very manly,�� Nina hurried on. “But he falls in love with the Ravkan princess and that allows her to civilize him—��
“To civilize him?��
“Yes, but that’s not until the third book.��
“There are three?��
“Matthias, do you need to sit down?��
“This culture is disgusting. The idea that a Ravkan could civilize a Fjerdan—��
“Calm down, Matthias.��
“Perhaps I’ll write a story about insatiable Ravkans who like to get drunk and take their clothes off and make unseemly advances toward hapless Fjerdans.��
“N�Ƿ� that sounds like a party.�� Matthias shook his head, but she could see a smile tugging at his lips. She decided to push the advantage. ��We could play,�� she murmured, quietly enough so that no one around them could hear.
“We most certainly could not.��
“At one point he bathes her.��
Matthias�� steps faltered. “Why would he—��
“She’s tied up, so he has to.��
“Be silent.��
“Already giving orders. That’s very barbarian of you. Or we could mix it up. I’ll be the barbarian and you can be the princess. But you’ll have to do a lot more sighing and trembling and biting your lip.��
“How about I bite your ������?��
“N�Ƿ� you’re getting the hang of it, Helvar.”
― Leigh Bardugo, Crooked Kingdom

“Anything else?�� asked Matthias.
“I like singing,�� said Alys.
Wylan shook his head frantically, mouthing, No, no, no.
“Shall I sing?�� Alys asked hopefully. “Bajan says that I’m good enough to be on the stage.��
“Maybe we save that for later—�� suggested Jesper.
Alys�� lower lip began to wobble like a plate about to break.
“Sing,�� Matthias blurted, “by all means, sing.��
And then the real nightmare began.
It wasn’t that Alys was so bad, she just never stopped. She sang between bites of food. She sang while she was walking through the graves. She sang from behind a bush when she needed to relieve herself. When she finally dozed off, she hummed in her sleep.
“Maybe this was Van Eck’s plan all along,�� Kaz said glumly when they’d assembled outside the tomb again.
“To drive us mad?�� said Nina. “It’s working.��
Jesper shut his eyes and groaned. “Diabolical.”
― Leigh Bardugo, Crooked Kingdom

“Farvell,�� she said in Fjerdan. “May Djel watch over you until I can once more.”
― Leigh Bardugo, Crooked Kingdom

“Nina is everything you say. It’s too much.��
“Mmm,�� Inej murmured, taking a sip from her mug. “Maybe you’re just not enough.”
― Leigh Bardugo, Six of Crows

“What’s the easiest way to steal a man’s wallet?��
“Knife to the throat?�� asked Inej.
“Gun to the back?�� said Jesper.
“Poison in his cup?�� suggested Nina.
“You’re all horrible,�� said Matthias.
Kaz rolled his eyes. “The easiest way to steal a man’s wallet is to tell him you’re going to steal his watch. You take his attention and direct it where you want it to go. Hringkälla is going to do that job for us. The Ice Court will have to divert resources to monitoring guests and protecting the royal family. They can’t be looking everywhere at once. It’s the perfect opportunity to spring Bo Yul-Bayur.�� Kaz pointed to the prison gate in the ringwall. “Remember what I told you at Hellgate, Nina?��
“It’s hard to keep track of all your wisdom.”
― Leigh Bardugo, Six of Crows

“Nina screamed, a howl that tore from the black space where her heart had beat only moments before. She searched for his pulse, for the light and force that had been Matthias.”
― Leigh Bardugo, Crooked Kingdom

“You’re better than waffles, Matthias Helvar.��
A small smile curled the Fjerdan’s lips. “Let’s not say things we don’t mean, my love.”
― Leigh Bardugo, Crooked Kingdom

“This isn’t about romance. A proper kiss, a proper courtship. There’s a way these things should be done.��
“For proper thieves?�� The corners of her beautiful mouth curled and for a moment he was afraid she would laugh at him, but she simply shook her head and drew even nearer. Her body was the barest breath from his now. The need to close that scrap of distance was maddening.
“The first day you showed up at my house for this proper courtship, I would have cornered you in the pantry,�� she said. “But please, tell me more about Fjerdan girls.��
“They speak quietly. They don’t engage in flirtations with every single man they meet.��
“I flirt with the women too.��
“I think you’d flirt with a date palm if it would pay you any attention.��
“If I flirted with a plant, you can bet it would stand up and take notice. Are you jealous?��
“All the time.”
― Leigh Bardugo, Crooked Kingdom

“We … uh … we were having a disagreement.��
“I can see that. I have been very patient with all of this, Jesper, but I am at my limit. I want you down here before I count ten or I will tan your hide so you don’t sit for two weeks.��
Colm’s head vanished back down the stairs. The silence stretched.
Then Nina giggled. “You are in so much trouble.��
Jesper scowled. “Matthias, Nina let Cornelis Smeet grope her bottom.��
Nina stopped laughing. “I am going to turn your teeth inside out.��
“That is physically impossible.��
“I just raised the dead. Do you really want to argue with me?”
― Leigh Bardugo, Crooked Kingdom

“What is he doing?�� asked Matthias.
“Performing an ancient Zemeni ritual,�� Kaz said.
���𲹱�����?��
“N��.&�����ܴ�;
― Leigh Bardugo, Six of Crows

“Matthias joined them at the table. “The Shu woman we faced was stronger than me, Jesper, and Wylan put together.��
“You heard right,�� said Jesper. “Stronger than Wylan.”
― Leigh Bardugo, Crooked Kingdom

“I have been made to protect you. Even in death, I will find a way.�� He clasped her hand tighter.

“Bury me so I can go to Djel. Bury me so I can take root and follow the water north.��

“I promise, Matthias. I’ll take you home.��

“Nina,�� he said, pressing her hand to his heart. “I am already home.��

The light vanished from his eyes. His chest stilled beneath her hands. Nina screamed, a howl that tore from the black space where her heart had beat only moments before.”
― Leigh Bardugo, Crooked Kingdom

“You aren’t a flower, you’re every blossom in the wood blooming at once. You are a tidal wave. You’re a stampede. You are overwhelming.”
― Leigh Bardugo, Crooked Kingdom

“Inej cleared her throat. “You do look a bit …��
“Enchanting,�� said Matthias.
Nina was about to snap that she didn’t appreciate the sarcasm when she saw the expression on his face. He looked like someone had just given him a tuba full of puppies.
“You could be a maiden on the first day of Roennigsdjel.��
“What is Roennigsdjel?�� asked Kuwei.
“Some festival,�� replied Nina. “I can’t remember. But I’m pretty sure it involves eating a lot of elk. Let’s go, you big goon—and I’m supposed to be your sister, stop looking at me like that.��
“Like what?��
“Like I’m made of ice cream.��
“I don’t care for ice cream.��
“Matthias,�� Nina said, “I’m not sure we can continue to spend time together.�� But she couldn’t quite keep the satisfaction from her voice. Apparently she was going to have to stock up on ugly knitwear.”
― Leigh Bardugo, Crooked Kingdom

“What are you so afraid will happen? Afraid you might start to like me?��
He said nothing.
Despite her fatigue, she trotted ahead of him. “That’s it, isn’t it? You don’t want to like a Grisha. You’re scared that if you laugh at my jokes or answer my questions, you might start thinking I’m human. Would that be so terrible?��
“I do like you.��
“What was that?��
“I do like you,�� he said angrily.
She’d beamed, feeling a well of pleasure erupt through her. “N�Ƿ�, really, is that so bad?��
“Yes!�� he roared.
“W���?��
“Because you’re horrible. You’re loud and lewd and . . . treacherous. Brum warned us that Grisha could be charming.��
“Oh, I see. I’m the wicked Grisha seductress. I have beguiled you with my Grisha wiles!��
She poked him in the chest.
“Stop that.��
“No. I’m beguiling you.��
“Quit it.��
She danced around him in the snow, poking his chest, his stomach, his side. “Goodness! You’re very solid. This is strenuous work.�� He started to laugh. “It’s working! The beguiling has begun. The Fjerdan has fallen. You are powerless to resist me.”
― Leigh Bardugo, Six of Crows

“Closer, ���ü����������,�� she crooned, taunting.

He threw an arm over her, hooking her back against his chest. She let out a startled oof and shifted uneasily.

“Stop moving,�� he muttered. He’d been close to girls—not many, it was true—but none of them had been like her. She was indecently round.

“You’re cold and clammy,�� she complained with a shiver. “It’s like lying next to a burly squid.��

“You told me to get closer!”
― Leigh Bardugo, Six of Crows

“Maybe your stay in Hellgate was too short, Matthias. There's always more to lose.”
― Leigh Bardugo, Six of Crows

“Trickery is not my native tongue, but I may learn to speak it yet.”
― Leigh Bardugo, Six of Crows

“It’s good to feel foolish sometimes, Fjerdan.��
“You only say that because you have no shame.”
― Leigh Bardugo, Crooked Kingdom

“Maybe I should have come alone. You could go wait by the boat.��
He stiffened. “Absolutely not. You have no idea what might be waiting for you. The Shu may have already gotten to your friends.��
Nina did not want to think about that. “Then you need to calm down and try to look friendly.��
Matthias shook out his arms and relaxed his features.
“Friendly, not sleepy. Just … pretend everyone you meet is a kitten you’re trying not to scare.��
Matthias looked positively affronted. “Animals love me.��
“Fine. Pretend they’re toddlers. Shy toddlers who will wet themselves if you’re not nice.��
“Very well, I’ll try.”
― Leigh Bardugo, Crooked Kingdom

“Matthias knew monsters, and one look at Kaz Brekker had told him this was a creature who had spent too long in the dark- he'd brought something back with him when he crawled in to the light.”
― Leigh Bardugo, Six of Crows